The parents of our friend Alex moved to Scottsdale, Arizona a few years ago, and once or twice a year about 8 of us converge on their house for very long weekend. We maybe go once out to dinner at a restaurant, but mostly we stay in the "compound" and swim, read, chat, drink, and watch movies.

This year we saw two rattle snakes. Once was coiled around a tree in a neighbor's courtyard, and Bill (Alex's father) bravely (and barefootedly) grabbed the snake and put it into a plastic box. The snake was not happy in the box, Jen was a little nervous, and the cat didn't know what to think. Bill released the snake in the desert. The second snake was younger. Hearing its rattle was incredibly cool.

In the chandelier above the table where Bill caught the first snake was the nest of a hummingbird with its tiny tiny egg! The egg was maybe the size of a jelly bean. I can hardly imagine what the baby bird looks like coming out of that.

Matt and Robin had brought their Bernese puppy Rocky, who was basically a moving teddy bear. As per tradition one evening we made pizzas in the Italian pizza oven, with Bill reminding us how to make our pizza so it won't disintegrate in the oven. The pizzas were great as usual.

Alex got a wicked cool rash from pina coladas, we made a campfire, lounged around the hot tub, watched movies, ate gourmet food, etc. etc.